Nestlé’s Makes the Very Best? Georgia Workers Vote To Unionize

Email this article to a friend

The workers at Nestlé’s distribution center are at one of the choke points of a global logistics chain that produces billions in profits for the Swiss company. (Mike Mozart/ Flickr)

Your Nesquik may now be shipped by union workers, thanks to a powder-thin union election at a distribution center just south of Atlanta.

Workers at Nestlé’s facility in McDonough, Georgia, voted 49-46 Wednesday in favor of representation by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), said labor organizer Greg Scandrett. The campaign was tough, so the victory is sweet.

“They [Nestlé] fought this from Day 1. They brought in people from HR from all around the country,” Scandrett said.

He expects negotiations around a first contract will be difficult.

The workers at Nestlé’s distribution center are at one of the choke points of a global logistics chain that produces billions in profits for the Swiss company. Nestlé spokeswoman Liz Caselli-Mechael tells In These Times that the company has more than 400 factories in 86 different countries. It employs 330,000 people globally, she says, with about 51,000 of those workers in the United States.

Caselli-Mechael did not immediately respond to a request to comment on the union election.

The distribution center in McDonough handles many different Nestlé products. Nesquik, the wildly popular chocolate milk powder, and candy are the most famous, but baby formula is also handled there, Scandrett said. The work site is at a key railroad intersection with Interstate 85, so much of Nestlé’s profits from the southeastern United States flow through the facility, he said.

According to Scandrett, management-labor relations on the shop floor are not good. Many workers feel disrespected by the managers. Favoritism in assignments and promotions is a huge complaint, he says. And racial tensions, with the vast majority of black workers pitted against the overwhelmingly white managers, are high, Scandrett says.

Hourly pay is not a big issue, according to Scandrett. Pay starts out at around $17 an hour, but there is little room for growth, with pay topping out at around $19 an hour, he says.

Labor relations at Nestlé’s operating units have been a perennial source of dismay at the IUF, the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations. IUF’s special Nestlé organizing center reports on problems with the company in countries like Turkey, South Korea and Finland.

“It’s not really about the pay. It’s about how you are treated. Nobody should have to stand for being disrespected all the time,” Scandrett said.

Support Progressive Journalism

Donations from readers like you make up a full third of our annual income—that's how critical our end-of-year fundraising drives are. If you want to continue to read independent, progressive journalism in 2019 and beyond, we hope you'll consider chipping in whatever you can today.

Bruce Vail is a Baltimore-based freelance writer with decades of experience covering labor and business stories for newspapers, magazines and new media. He was a reporter for Bloomberg BNA's Daily Labor Report, covering collective bargaining issues in a wide range of industries, and a maritime industry reporter and editor for the Journal of Commerce, serving both in the newspaper's New York City headquarters and in the Washington, D.C. bureau.

That's right, and that's a major reason that the political revolution started by Bernie Sanders and his campaign for president caught fire and nearly won a gerrymandered Democratic primary which wasn't Democratic at all. Trump's victory in the general election has a good deal to do with the way the Democratic primary was stolen from Bernie.

#Right to work=Right to be enslaved#Repeal "Taft-Hartley"

Posted by Troy Cole on 2017-04-20 13:42:28

It may not be an overwhelming margin of support, but it's support nonetheless. And in a state that's strongly anti-union like Georgia, this is a yuuuge victory! Another semi-victory is Jon Ossoff's stunningly good performance in the special election for Tom Price's senate seat. He scored 48.1% of the vote (barely short of the 50% needed to avoid a runoff) in a deeply conservative House of Representatives district. Maybe these small victories are a sign that Georgia is perhaps on it's way to going blue. Time will tell.

Strong unions standing together is the only way back to decent jobs and working conditions in this country. Corporations will mistreat workers at every turn and don't care at all about anything except shareholders profits. That is short sighted of course but it is the way they are.

Have you at all gained some huge cash without reselling something or perhaps left out doing any referral marketing sort of work without the need to invest any-thing. I wish to talk about a job in which every techniques is generally provied to you and therefore its a very simple moreover trouble-free project. Without having to setup your web addresses and all that., all are generally presented to you without charge. Visitors will likely look at your internet site therefore you are able to get compensated for that. It is actually so simple as that. I am taking home a ton of cash online using this work like 20 thousand bucks regular monthly or maybe more just in case you might genuinely wish to take home money same as that then follow these specific really simple info by viewing this web-site >>>>> SHRTY.LINK/gaGnve

Posted by Harry Hunter on 2017-04-11 13:13:37

A 49-46 margin doesn't show overwhelming support. Hopefully the union will be able to obtain at least 65% or more support.

Posted by Pancho Valdez on 2017-04-10 14:23:44

Making money online using the web can be as uncomplicated (and also as complicated) just like earning money off the net. Even though a huge number of Internet marketing authorities state to currently have a undisclosed procedure to earn quick earnings, the simple truth is, there is absolutely no approach one can turn into wealthy overnight just by clicking on a button or perhaps purchasing several e-book. Making profits internet calls for hard work and patience. For anyone willing invest the amount of time and also work involved with it, there are a lot of ways to creating a lot more revenue via internet.I am bringing in $10000 or perhaps higher regular monthly from this job.Here is the secret to generate cash although the others are long term making money online ideas >>>>> GET.LC/5QJ7L

Posted by Joel Garcia on 2017-04-09 12:16:06

Creating wealth over the web is often as effortless (and also as stressful) just as getting cash off-line. While hundreds upon hundreds of Online marketing masters guarantee to currently have a key system making easy serious money, the fact is, you will not have any strategy you can turn into wealthy person overnight by just clicking a key or simply choosing a small number of book. Earning internet will involve working hard and also consistency. If you are ever willing put in sufficient time and efforts involved with it, there are a variety of means to getting high profits through the web.I am earning money $10000 or perhaps extra once a month using this venture.Here's the method to generate profits although the rest are long term ideas for making money >>>>> OUOURL.COM/4rgm

Posted by Jesse Jenkins on 2017-04-09 05:37:48

Absolutely I got successfulness to take home Ninty Eight Thousand Five Hundred and Sixty Seven bucks.I noticed about this work six calender months before and a pair of months before I already have tried out and I have received such a significant bucks. It is truly valuable for myself and also my whole family.My friends and relatives are skeptical to check out how I settled my online career and my Lifestyle in very less time. Thank you so much Almighty for it....You can also earn such a great number of money, if you own a laptop and internet access at your home. different complex skillfullness are not required to work on this work. I am Liking it and you will surely like it and you will definitely not forgive yourself if you not at all check out the information >>>>>> B1Z.ORG/38z

Posted by Henrik King on 2017-04-08 02:36:53

About this Blog

"Working In These Times" is dedicated to providing independent and incisive coverage of the labor movement and the struggles of workers to obtain safe, healthy and just workplaces. more